You are conducting an experiment by trying to reproduce the work performed in 1891 by Hans Driesch, a German embryologist. Working with a fertilized sea urchin egg, you allow it to complete the first cell division after fertilization. You then carefully separate the two cells of the embryo and allow their development to continue. Based on Driesch's experiment, which result below would you expect to happen?
A)Both of the cells will die.
B)Both of the cells will develop into complete and normal embryos.
C)One cell will develop into a normal, though smaller, embryo; the other dies.
D)One cell will develop into half an embryo; the other will develop into the other half of the embryo.
E)One cell will develop into a defective embryo and the other will die.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Hans Driesch's experiment demonstrated the concept of embryonic totipotency, where each separated cell from the early embryo (blastomere) has the potential to develop into a complete and normal embryo. This was a foundational experiment for developmental biology, showing that at early stages, sea urchin cells retain the ability to form an entire organism independently.

You Are Conducting an Experiment by Trying to Reproduce the Work